Ivory Coast vs Norway FIFA World Cup 2026 Preview: Everything you need to know

World Cup - Final Stage

Dallas Stadium

Ivory Coast vs Norway in the World Cup round of 32 kicks off on 30 Jun 2026 at 13:00 EST and 18:00 GMT.

Ivory Coast vs Norway World Cup Round of 16 preview

In what could genuinely be one of the toughest Round of 32 clashes to call, an enterprising Ivory Coast team takes on a Norway side spearheaded by the best striker on the planet. Who reaches the last 16 out of two teams separated by only two places in the world rankings in the Texas heat? To the winners, the prize is a meeting with either Brazil or Japan.

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How Ivory Coast and Norway got here

The Ivorians opened the scoring in all three of their group games, only the second African nation ever to achieve the feat at a World Cup. A narrow win over a defensively disciplined Ecuador side was followed by a painful stoppage-time defeat to Germany. They steadied the ship with a 2-0 win over Curacao, thanks to a brace from previously much-maligned former Arsenal star, Nicolas Pepé.

READ MORE:Yan Diomande addresses transfer rumours amid reports of new Liverpool bid

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Norway has brought entertainment to the World Cup on several levels. Their legions of supporters have produced immense energy and passion with their intoxicating chants. On the pitch, Norway's three matches have produced 15 goals with exactly five per game, the last of those was a 4-1 defeat where coach Ståle Solbakken rested several key names, including Erling Haaland, skipper Martin Odegaard and highly-regarded right-sided attacker Antonio Nusa. Julian Ryerson was not risked against France but should slot in at right-back.

READ MORE: How to watch and live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup

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Clubmates turn rivals

The football world's collective tongues are wagging over the considerable talents of Ivorian winger Yan Diomande. The 19-year-old RB Leipzig man is being courted by several of Europe's most powerful clubs, with a big move likely in the summer. Feared for his pace, trickery and dribbling, the rumoured Liverpool target will come into direct confrontation with clubmate Antonio Nusa on Norway's right flank, a player dubbed as 'the Norwegian Neymar' in some quarters. Their battle could be pivotal in determining the victor.

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Can anybody stop Erling Haaland?

Man City goal-machine Erling Haaland will be hungry to add to his tally of four goals at the World Cup so far. Arsenal playmaker Martin Ødegaard will supply most of his service. Haaland will be closely watched by Atalanta's Kouakou Kossounou and the supremely gifted 22-year-old Sporting Lisbon man, Ousmane Diomande.

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Likely Ivory Coast XI

Fofana; Doué, Koussounou, Diomande, Operi; Sangaré, Kessié; Amad, Pepé, Diomande; Bonny.

Likely Norway XI

Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Møller Wolfe; Ødegaard, Berge, Aursnes; Sørloth, Haaland, Nusa.

Ivory Coast 26-man squad

Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana (Rizespor), Mohamed Kone (Charleroi), Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos).

Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Christopher Operi (Istanbul Basaksehir), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting), Guela Doue (Racing Strasbourg), Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente), Odilon Kossonou (Atalanta), Evan Ndicka (AS Roma), Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray).

Midfielders: Seko Fofana (Stade Rennais), Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi), Franck Kessie (Al Ahli), Christ Oulai (Trabzonspor), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Jean-Michael Seri (NK Maribor).

Forwards: Simon Adingra (AS Monaco), Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter Milan), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Oumar Diakite (Cercle Brugge), Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa), Nicolas Pepé (Villarreal), Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), Elye Wahi (Nice).

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Norway 26-man squad

Goalkeepers: Orjan Haskjold Nyland (Sevilla), Egil Selvik (Watford), Sander Tangvik (Hamburger SV).

Defenders: Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund), Marcus Holmgren Pedersen (Torino), David Moller Wolfe (Wolverhampton), Fredrik Bjorkan (Bodo/Glimt), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford), Torbjorn Heggem (Bologna), Leo Skiri Ostigard (Genoa), Sondre Langas (Derby County), Henrik Falchener (Viking).

Midfielders: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Sander Berge (Fulham), Fredrik Aursnes (Benfica), Patrick Berg (Bodo/Glimt), Kristian Thorstvedt (Sassuolo), Morten Thorsby (Cremonese), Thelo Aasgaard (Rangers).

Forwards: Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Alexander Sorloth (Atletico Madrid), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Crystal Palace), Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig), Oscar Bobb (Fulham), Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica), Jens Petter Hauge (Bodo/Glimt).

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Team news & squads

Ivory Coast vs Norway Probable lineups

Ivory Coast

CIV

Formation

Norway

NOR

Norway

NOR

Manager

• E. Fae

Ivory Coast are managed by Emerse Fae, though no confirmed injury or suspension information is currently available for the Elephants ahead of this fixture. No probable starting lineup has been confirmed. Updates will be added closer to kick-off.

Norway head coach Stale Solbakken also has no confirmed injury or suspension news listed at this stage. No probable XI has been announced. Further team news will be provided as it becomes available.

Form

Ivory Coast head into this match with four wins from their last five games, losing only once. Their most recent outing was a 2-0 victory over Curacao in the World Cup group stage, with Nicolas Pepe netting both goals. Prior to that, they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Germany before bouncing back with a 1-0 win over Ecuador. Pre-tournament friendlies brought a 2-1 victory over France and a 1-0 win against Scotland, giving the Elephants a strong run of form heading into the knockout rounds.

Norway have won three of their last five matches, drawing one and losing one. Their most recent game ended in a 4-1 defeat to France in the group stage, a result that came after Solbakken rotated his squad. Before that, they beat Senegal 3-2 and Iraq 4-1 in their earlier World Cup fixtures. A 1-1 draw with Morocco and a 3-1 win over Sweden in pre-tournament friendlies round out the five-match run. Norway scored 12 goals across those five games and conceded nine.

Head-to-Head Record

No head-to-head data between Ivory Coast and Norway is available in the current dataset. This fixture may represent a first competitive meeting between the two nations at the World Cup finals.

Standings

Ivory Coast finished second in Group E, while Norway finished second in Group I, setting up this Round of 32 meeting in Dallas.